Last is GarageBand. I’m not a heavy GarageBand user, since I’m used to more advanced tools like Cakewalk Sonar, Guitar Rig and Cubasis. But when I need to record something causal and quickly, I’ll use my MacBook Pro and GarageBand to do it.
The new version has some ProTools-like features, like Flex Time and Groove Matching for correcting time. I rarely use such features, since I know what a metronome is.
For guitar players, there are some new amps and effects available, but after testing for a while, I found out they are miles apart from what Guitar Rig has to offer. But they’re decent enough for casual playing or demos. For the guitar tests, I used my Custom Shop Strat through a Boss BR-900CD recorder just for controlling the signal level and its line-out to the MacBook Pro line in. The results weren’t great, really. If you want pro-quality recording, use Guitar Rig. This is just a toy.
The piano tests were better. The sound isn’t that realistic, but convincing enough. Of course, I could have used my Steinway VST plugin, but for the purpose of this review, I decided to rely only on the tools available in iLife ’11. MIDI worked like a breeze: just plugged an USB cable between my MacBook Pro and my Yamaha Clavinova CLP-340 and it was ready to go.
The sound of my Yamaha is much better, of course. If I had used its line out directly into the MacBook Pro, it’d have sounded a lot better, but for a MIDI recording, this sounds very good.
The instrument lessons have also improved. The new “How did I play?” feature will help beginners to improve their skills in a very easy and intuitive way. There are some new lessons as well.
I’d love to start talking about a new version of iWeb, but unfortunately Apple didn’t upgrade that. That’s my only disappointment with this suite. The price is very good for the bundle – at $49 (or $79 for a 5-license Family Pack) you won’t find anything better out there. It’s very good value.
So, if you haven’t upgraded yet, it’s highly recommended. Unless you’re upgrading your Mac. In that case, iLife ’11 ships with every new Mac since October 20th.
Related stories: Apple, GarageBand, Mac, OS X, Recording, Technology